Sara Wael

In a groundbreaking move for music, arts and culture in Saudi Arabia, the inaugural Riyadh Music Week kicked off this weekend, from December 5 to December 14. Co-organized and hosted by the Saudi Music Commission, MDLBEAST and SRMG, Riyadh Music Week unites the most prominent events on the city’s music calendar, including XP Music Futures, the Music Makers Summit, The Music Cities Convention and Awards, the first-ever Billboard Arabia Music Awards, and closing with the legendary festival, Soundstorm. The week-long celebration aims to spotlight the Kingdom's creative and commercial strides in the music industry, position Riyadh as a global music hub, and foster meaningful dialogue with international stakeholders to drive the growth of the local music scene.

Find Below the list of  all the events:

XP Music Futures Conference 

Riyadh Music Week kicked off with XP Music Futures Conference, featuring a morning program of workshops, panels, and networking opportunities for music industry professionals and enthusiasts and an evening program that showcases performances by renowned regional and international artists and DJs, offering unique musical experiences.

Date: December 5 – 7

Location: JAX District, Diriyah

Music Makers Summit

The Music Makers Summit aims to connect music industry leaders with artists through panel discussions, workshops, and performances. It focused on fostering collaboration to support the industry’s sustainability and drive economic growth.

Date: December 8

Location: Saudi Music Hub, Riyadh

Music Cities Convention

The Music Cities Conference explores the role and significance of music in urban development by providing a platform to discuss best practices and challenges in various fields at the intersection of urban planning, music, tourism, and events.

The conference also hosted the Music Cities Awards, which honor individuals and institutions that use music to create positive societal transformations.

Date: December 8 – 10

Location: Mayadeen Theatres, Diriyah

Billboard Arabia Music Awards

Riyadh will host the first edition of the Billboard Arabia Music Awards, This event celebrates both established and emerging regional talents, as well as their songs that have gained wide popularity on the Billboard Arabia charts throughout 2024, including the "100 Artists" and "Hot 100" charts, in addition to another 8 genre-specific and dialect-specific charts. The historic event will also feature musical performances by some of the most prominent artists in the MENA region, including Elissa, Dystinct, Ahmed Saad, Ayed, Omaima Taleb and others.

Date: December 11

Location: King Fahd Cultural Center

MDLBEAST’s Soundstorm 

Riyadh Music Week concludes with the region’s loudest music festival: MDLBEAST’s Soundstorm. This three-day event will feature over 200 international and local artists performing across various stages, curating a diverse line up of names from global icons like Eminem to Abdulmajeed Abdullah and dozens of DJs, producers, and live acts. 

Dates: December 12 – 14

Location: Banban